by Ed » Wed Jun 05, 2019 6:53 am
At this time of the year you have to hike high to be cool and safe, except for short early morning hikes. That means either take the tram or drive. A high percentage of the higher trails are on the Tom Harrison Mt. San Jacinto and San Gorgonio maps. Available both in paper and for smartphones. There will be far more choices in the winter. The Barnes and Noble in Palm Desert carries hiking guide books. Desert Map and Aerial Photo in Palm Desert has maps. I think a few hours of browsing in those stores would be helpful. Regarding guidebooks, Ferranti's 140 Hikes in the Palm Springs Area is the most prominently displayed, but I don't care for it. I prefer David Mooney Harris's Inland Empire, though it is a fairly new book and I have not used it much. Then there is the classic San Bernardino Mountain Trails by John Robinson and David Mooney Harris. But it doesn't cover the lower elevation trails you would hike during the cooler months. Hope this helps.